Apparatus for generating steam.



J. B. PENTZ.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM.

' APPLICATION FILED MAB.15, 1913.

1,081,463. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT 0mm.

JAMES B. PEN'IZ, or New YORK, N. Y. arrmrus' ron GENERATING srmu.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed larch 15, 1913, Serial No. 754,471.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. PENTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the borough and county of Richmond and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Generating Steam, of which the following is a full, clear; and exactdescription.

This invention relates to the generation of steam, and its chief objectis toprovide an improved apparatus whereby the steam may be producedpractically instantaneously whenever steam is needed for the purpose inhand without keeping the apparatus hot, with consequent Waste of heat,when the steam is not needed.

A further object is to provide an apparatus for generating steam inwhich the steam can also be superheated as fast as it is produced, the.superheatin'g being particularly useful when the steam is used for suchpurposes as sterilizing surgical instruments,

eating solvents and mixtures in the laboratory, etc.

To these and other ends the invention consists'inthe novel features andcombinations of elements hereinafter described.

A convenient and eflective embodiment of the invention as designedfor-sterilizing surgical instruments, more especially instruments usedby surgeon dentists, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 shows the complete device partly invertical section. Fig.2 is a plan vlew. I

In the form shown, the device comprises a block 10- of any suitable"material, for example an asbestos composition, which should not only bewater-proof and insulating both to electricity and to heat but shouldalso be refractory enough to stand a temperature of several hundreddegrees Fahrenheit'without damage. The block is inclosed, at leastaround its sides, in a. sheet metal shell 11; and is spaced from thewalls thereof by metal strips 12. 4 If desired, the space be tween theblock or body 10 and the shell 11 may be packed, as indicated at 13,with suitable heat-insulating material.

In a block or body 10 is \a chamber or canal 14, shaped substantiallylike a broad U, having a horizontally arranged portion 15 and. twoupwardly extending or vertical P portions 16, 17 ,rising from'the endsof the horizontal, portion. Arranged --in this chamber or cana is a bareresistance wire 18, pref erably wound in helical form with turns orPatented Dec. 16, 1913-.

coils of about the same diameter as the' chamber so that the. frictionof the wire on i the chamber walls will tend to keep the coils properlyspaced apart. The ends of the bare resistance wire are electricallyconnected to a pair of insulated terminals 19, 20, for convenientconnection with any suitable source of current, not shown.

1 Atabout its center the block or body 10 is provided with a verticalpassage 21, opening at its lower end into the horizontal portion 15ofthe heating chamber 14. At the top of the passage is a hollow fitting22, mounted rigidly on the body 10 in any convenient manner, supportinga reservoir 23 to contain the water or other liquid which is to beevaporated. In the form shown the reservoir comprises a glass cylinder24 closed by a metal bottom 25 and a metal top 26, the latter providedwith a depending nozzle 27 screwed into the fitting 22 and having anoutlet orifice 28. Extending upwardly from the bot-tom 25, and inregister with the nozzle 27, is a tubular stem 29 having a threaded topon which the cap 26 is screwed down upon the glass cylinder 24 to holdthe same firmly in position. Above the cap 26 is a lock-nut 30, and ontop of the stem 29 is a corrugated collar 31 threaded on the stem andhence vertically adjustable thereon. To

hold the collar in adjusted position by preventing accidental turning aspring 32 is provided, mounted on a collar 33 above the lock-nut 30 andbearing on the roughened periphery of the collar 31. In the cap 26 is anair vent 34.

The reservoir 23 being filled with water (through an orifice providedwith a removable closure 35) it is apparent that the water will flowthroughthe openings 36 into the tubular stem 29 and thence out throughnoz'zle27, orifice 28', and fitting 22, into the passage 21. To controlthe flow of water a needle valve 37 is provided, cooperating with theorifice 28. This valve extends up through the tubular stem 29 and at itstop is provided with a manually operated cam lever 38. When the lever ishorizontal, as shown, the needle valve is depressed against its seat bya coil spring 39 encircling-the valve between a stop 40 fixed. tothevalve and astopl fixe to the tubular stem orduct29; but when t e leverisraised to ver tieal position the valve is raised, and the orifice 28is opened. It is apparent that the distance the valve is raised, andhence the rate of outflow through the orifice 28, depends upon theposition of the adjustable collar 31. If the collar is screwed down thelift of the valve will be diminishedand the effective area of the outletorifice diminished, While raising the said collar results in giving thevalve a greater lift when the lever 38 is raised, with correspondingincrease in the rate of outflow. Preferably the size of the orifice issuch that even when opened to its greatest capacity the water will issuein drops. Then adjustment of the collar 31 merely varies the number ofdrops (11S- charged per unit of time. The drops issuing from the orifice28 at a suitable rate fall through the passage 21 and u on thehorizontal portion of the highly eated resistance 18 in the horizontalportion of the chamber and are instantly vapor1zed.. The

vapor or steam rises through on result v v f- 1 4 nclfi rg'nn or theother or com passa es a co o.

one or the other or me: her is olonv and in passing the intensely notporno: the resistance wire in said oass 'es 1s ti heated,

that is, supeiu ea Z 2:) while the steam or vapor rises and issuperheated as before. Under such circumstances the behavior of thedevice, particularly the boiling of any appreciable quantity of water inthe vaporizing chamber, will quickly warn the operator that the watersupply is too fast.

The steam being generated instantly, and

superheated practically simultaneously, it is apparent that it is notnecessary to keep the device in operation except during the briefperiods required for sterilization, the mere closing of a switch in thecircuit to which the resistance is connected and the opening of thewater-supply valve'being sufiicient to set the device in operation.Current is therefore used only when needed. Another important advantageis that in sterilizing it 1s almost if not quite impossible to heat ofan instrument into a gas or alcohol flame the temper is frequentlynjured, and in fact the temper is very apt to be destroyed if theoperators attention is distracted.

Extended practical use of the device described has demonstrated itspracticability and efliciency, but it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the particular embodiment described, and isnot confined to'use for sterilizing purposes.

What I claim is: 4 1. In an apparatus for generating steam, incombination, a body of refractory and insulating material having avaporizing chamber and a superheating chamber connected with the formerchamber and provided with an outlet, means for heating both chambers,and means for supplying water to the vapori ng chamber drop by drop.

. an apparatus for generatbg steam,

coir A body of ry and l havin porizmg ingcliamhaving water in l andrevaporizing a superheating chamber con nected ther with and providedwith an outlet, elect c heating means in the chambers, adapted "forconnection with a source of current, means for delivering water to theheating means in the vaporizing chamber.

1. In an apparatus for generating steam, in combination, a body ofinsulating and refractory material having a substantially horizontal.vaporizing chamber and a vertical superheating chamber connectedtherewith and provided with an outlet, electric heating means in thechambers, adapted for connection with a source of current, a waterreservoir connected with the vaporizing chamber to supply water thereto,and means for controlling the rate of water'supply.

"5. In an apparatus forgenerating steam, in combination, a body ofinsulating and refractory material having an open-topped U- shapedchamber, a resistance element in the horizontal and vertical portions ofthe chamber, adapted to be connected with a source of current, and meansfor supplying water to the horizontal portion of said chamher.

6. In an apparatus for generating steam, in combination, a body ofinsulating and refractory material having an open-topped U- shapedchamber, and a passa e leading to the horizontal portion of the c amber,a resistance element arranged in the horizontal and vertical portions ofthe chamber, and a water reservoir mounted on said body above the saidpassage to supply water thereto.

7. In an apparatus for generating steam, in combination, a body ofinsulating and refractory material having a vaporizing chamber and asuperheating chamber connected therewith and provided with an outlet, aresistance wire arranged in helical form in said chambers, means forconnecting the resistance wire with a source of current, and means forsupplying water to the vaporizing chamber.

8. In an apparatus for generating steam, in combination, a body ofinsulating and refractory material having a U-shaped chamber, means forheating the horizontal and vertical portions of the chamber, and

means for supplying water to the horizontal portion of the chamber.

9. In an apparatus for generating steam, in combination, a body ofinsulating and refractory material having a horizontal vaporizingchamber and an open-topped vertical superheating chamber and connectedwith the former to receive'steam therefrom, means for heating bothchambers, and means for supplying water to the vaporizing chamer. 10. Adevice for sterilizing surgical instruments, comprising in combination,a body of refractory and insulating material having a vaporizing chamberand a superheating chamber connected with the former and provided withan outlet for directing superheated steam upon an instrument to besterilized, means for heating both chambers simultaneously, and meansfor delivering water to the vaporizing chamber in regulated amount.

11. A device for sterilizing surgical instruments, comprising incombination, a,

body of insulating and refractory material having a horizontalvaporizing chamber and an open topped vertical superheating chamberconnected at its lower end with the former, means for supporting aninstrument in the path of the steam issuing from the superheatinchamber, means for heating both chain ers simultaneously, and a waterreservoir carried by said body and connected with the vaporizing chamberto deliver Water thereto drop by drop.

12. A device for heating articles by steam, comprising in combination, abody of insulating and refractory material having a U-shaped chamberinto the legs of which the articles to be heated may be inserted, andhaving also a fluid supply passage opening into the chamber between thelegs thereof; and means for heating the'chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES B. PENTZ.

Witnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, S. S. DUNHA'M.

